


Blood Deal

by Hekate1308



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Season/Series 13, Fix-It, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-15
Updated: 2018-05-15
Packaged: 2019-05-07 08:13:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14667000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hekate1308/pseuds/Hekate1308
Summary: It’s pretty hard to wrap his head around everything that has happened, but Dean knows one thing.There’s something missing.





	Blood Deal

It’s pretty hard to wrap his head around everything that has happened, but Dean knows one thing.

There’s something missing.

No one else seems to notice amidst the cheering going on here at the camp in the Apocalypse world – and that’s something else he’ll eventually have to face, the fact that nothing makes sense anymore and that Sam just accepts that Mom wants to stay even though he was determined to get for back from the start, or that Cas ignores the signs that point to Jack becoming more like Lucifer.

But all of that will have to wait. He has to deal with something else before that.

And so he sets off late in the night. It’s easy enough; for all that “You’re our new brothers” talk (and he thinks, resignedly, that the word family really doesn’t mean as much to him as it should, these days) they mostly ignore him in favour of Sam, but then, isn’t he used to it?

He’s quickly done with his preparations. And then he summons him.

The one who’s missing.

He thinks he’s gotten it wrong when instead of the meat suit he knows so well, a woman appears in front of him. She’s gorgeous, he’ll admit that; but there’s something wrong about looking at her and knowing it’s –

“Crowley?”

“Yes. And who are you – aside from the dumbass who summoned me without using a devil’s trap?”

He laughs; he can’t help it. It feels too good to hear his – her – whatever British accent again. “Damn it’s good to see you.”

That takes her aback. “What –“

“My name is Dean Winchester. I came from a different dimension, if you will. And there, we were… friends.”

“Nice try.”

“Would I summon you in order to bring him back if we hadn’t been?” he argues. He’s long known that the only person who’d know how to bring back Crowley would be Crowley himself, or in this case herself. And now he has the chance to ask.

She’s studying him, and he’s suddenly reminded of the first time they met Crowley; it’s the same cold, calculating look, long before soft smiles and the question “You miss me?” when he called for help. “So you summon a demon in order to resurrect – I assume he’s dead, otherwise you wouldn’t have to “bring him back” – another demon while this world is crashing down around you? Wow. You’re even more of an idiot than I thought.”

Dean scoffs. He’s tired, he’s been running through a world that isn’t his own, nothing makes sense anymore, but he’s a man on a mission. “Alright, I’ll cut this short. This may be new to you, but every single insult you could throw my way, he already did. Multiple times. So, why don’t you just tell me how do get him back?”

“What makes you think I know?”

“It’s Crowley. He always has a back-up plan.”

She narrows her eyes and Dean realizes with surprise that looking at the demon who isn’t the one he knew but acts like him actually hurts, just a little bit.

Seems like Cain was even more right than he thought.

“Let’s say there is some truth in what you say – why would I tell you?”

Dean knows better than to argue that she should do herself a favour. It took him some time to realize, but part of the reason he and Crowley got on so well was that they both are quite familiar with the habit of loathing oneself. “To be honest? You have absolutely no reason. But what have you got to lose? In fact, I owe you one, in case you ever need a favour from someone who saved his world.”

He doesn’t mention that it would need an archangel’s Grace to get through to them, but it’s Crowley; what can’t they do when they choose to?

She stares at him. “You are… offering me a deal. To save me.”

2Well, our version of you, but yes…” he trails off when he sees her eyes soften, and he remembers Rowena, and Gavin, and Crowley’s face when he punched him on the last day of his life. “He died for us, we kind of… you know… owe him that. To try, at least.”

“And after you do this, you owe me. Do we have a deal?”

Dean knows this is dangerous, of course. But if it works – if it works – then they’ll have Crowley back, and he’s certainly a match for this version.

“Alright” he agrees. She draws him into a kiss, and Dean tries very hard not to compare the two (just as he generally tries not to think about everything he and Crowley got up to when they were demons together.”

“Alright” she says, “here”. She hands him a phial of blood.

“What is that?”

“It’s mine. I always figured no matter how I met my demise, blood would be spilt. And blood calls to blood. I assume he had a well-hidden stash of it in your world, too. Where did he die?”

“Here.”

“Ah. Well, then, that’s rather unfortunate. But not for you, since you are here. You just gave to find the exact spot where he died.”

Thank God for his navigation skills. He’s pretty sure he can find the place. He nods.

“And then there’s the spell.” The instructions she gives him are almost disgustingly simple, but he gets it. Crowley, always doing the unexpected. Nothing elaborate, just the spell to call blood to blood, as she put it.

“Thank you.”

“Oh, thank me when I call in that favour, sugar” she drawls, her hand running down his shirt. “I cannot wait.”

“Sorry, got a demon to save.”

She’s obviously surprised at that. “Well, then. Bye.” She vanishes.

Exactly like Crowley. Can’t handle any other feelings than utter hatred too well.

Dean steals back to the camp to get his backpack, and then he’s gone. He’s not entirely sure where the others are; maybe they’re busy celebrating this new family unit that will never feel quite right to him. It’s not even Mom not living up to his expectations – he could handle that – it’s about her not wanting to be their mother, or rather, anyone’s mother but theirs.

But all of this can wait. Once he’s dealt with this.

The place where Crowley gutted himself, where they met Bobby again, where Mom got stranded and where they lost Cas (albeit on the other side of the door) is seared into his mind, and soon he’s on his way.

It gives him ample time to consider what he is doing, but he never falters. Rowena was right; Crowley was an evil bastard, but in many ways, he didn’t deserve the lot he was dealt, and he did help them a lot.

And didn’t he pray to God to save him as well? So really, Dean’s not the one to talk.

He reaches the place just as the sun – or what passes for the sun here – begins to rise. He wonders when the others are going to start to miss him, then he dismisses the thought.

Right now, other matters need his attention.

Pin-pointing the exact spot is not as easy as he hoped. In the end, he has to settle for an educated guess and wish that somehow a bit of Crowley’s blood found its way there.

He has to admit the spell is a clever idea – it’s really so utterly simple that anyone could perform irt, meaning no one would try because why would they ever believe this was real?

At first, nothing happens; he’s waiting, for a sign, a flicker, something; and then –

A gush of air knocks him down as Crowley quite literally propels out of the skies and crashes near him.

The Empty, Dean remembers. That’s where Cas says he went, and where Crowley must have ended up too – and just like it ejected Cas, he ended up being quite literally thrown out.

Alright then.

He seems to be unconscious, and Dean rolls him on his back, once more cursing the fact that angels and demons don’t need to breathe.

When Crowley’s eyes finally open, they take a moment to focus. Then he stars up at him. “Dean?”

“Welcome back.”

Crowley closes his eyes and groans. “I’m dead.”

“No you’re not. Well, you were, so now you’re undead. Or rather, un-un-dead. After all, you already croaked once as a human…”

“Squirrel, I would really like you to be silent for five seconds, just while I get my bearings” he hisses as he reopens his eyes and sits up.

“Maybe you should –“ But Crowley is already standing up, looking as unflappable as ever.

“Alright, tell me what happened, and please leave out everything unimportant.”

So Dean does. About how he brought him back, anyway.

When he’s finished, Crowley is staring at him like a deer caught in headlights. “You agreed to a deal? With this world’s version of me!?”

“I didn’t have much of a choice, did I –“

“Of course you had, you denim-clad –“

“I couldn’t just leave you dead when I knew there was a chance!”

Suddenly, Crowley looks as lost as he did when Gwen hugged him. Eventually, he clears his throat. “Ahm, yes – I see. Obviously. None of you can ever leave well enough alone when there’s just teh tiniest hope things could turn your way.”

“Exactly” Dean grins, only then realizing how glad he actually is to see Crowley. “So, now that we’ve cleared the air.”

“Excuse you, Squirrel, we have done nothing of the kind. What sort of favour did you offer? What does she want? What is –“

“Oh my, this is better than anything I could possibly have imagined. A lover’s quarrel.”

Dean turns around to find this world’s Crowley looking at them. “I was just explaining to him that –“

“Unless you two want to make me a certain offer, I am not interested.”

Her eyes travel up and down Crowley’s meat suit and just like when Billie did the same, Dean feels a surge of utterly unwarranted jealousy. “At least we both have good taste.”

“I have to agree” Crowley drawls.

“If you two need a moment alone” Dean snaps, “I can –“

“Aw, lover boy’s jealous” she says, turning towards… well, herself. Himself. And this isn’t even the most confusing thing Dean has seen this week. “I have to say, picking a human lover and letting him resurrect you… not a bad idea. But what I absolutely cannot understand are your own feelings for him. Are we growing soft?”

Dean’s pretty sure his head just exploded, because there is no way she insinuated that Crowley of all people has feelings for him. True, when he was a demon, there was – well, there was no reason notz to have fund, and that thing with the triplets…

But feelings?

Granted, he’s probably not the one to ask. He did after all just drag himself through the Apocalypse World to get him back.

He expects Crowley – their edition – to make some sarcastic comment, but instead he’s silent.

She scoffs. “So it’s true. You’re pathetic.”

“Hey” Dean says, “Careful. You’re talking to a former King of Hell there.”

“Former? Of course. Why would someone so weak to fall for one of you meatballs keep the –“

Everything happens very fast. One moment, Crowley’s taunting Crowley, then they are locked in combat, and before Dean can react, his (his? Alright, deal with that later) one has her arms locked behind her back, angel blade (the one he killed himself with, Dean thinks, shuddering) at her throat. “Here’s the thing, my dear. You may have some devilish good looks and a somewhat functioning brain, and you survived until now, but I have been dealing with the Winchesters, and there’s no better training than that. So –“

He’s about to cut her throat when she calls out, “My favour! I want him to let me go! Make him!”

Just like him, then; she knows when she’d better beat retreat.

“Crowley –“

“Could be fun, and the deal would be broken either –“

“Crowley, please.”

He pouts – pouts – but lest her go.

“We’re square” Dean says an she gives a tight nod, then smiles. “You can’t win them all. Well then, I better leave the love birds to their reunion. Laterz!”

“Not if I can help it” Crowley mutters after she’s gone.

“And whether you believe it or not, this was the most normal thing to happen to me Today. Wait until you hear –“

Crowley distracts him by kissing him roughly. Dean takes a moment to catch on, then gives as good as he gets; after all, everything’s already going insane, so what does this matter?

“What was that for?”

“I had to ensure you are reminded who is the superior kisser” Crowley says simply. “And now you tell me what new world-ending problem you boys ran right into so we can deal with it.”

Yes, Dean thinks, maybe this was the answer after all.

He’s got the feeling there’s nothing they cannot deal with, together.


End file.
